Kumaritashvili’s body arrives in Georgia
The body of Nodar Kumaritashvili, the luger who was killed in an horrific training accident at the Winter Olympics, arrived in Georgia for an emotional homecoming.
Draped in a Georgian flag, Kumaritashvili’s coffin was carried through an honour guard of young athletes after arriving in the early morning hours at Tbilisi airport and was presented to his family.
Before Kumaritashvili’s coffin was loaded into a hearse for the 180-kilometre journey to his hometown of Bakuriani, where officials said his funeral would take place on Saturday.
“His death is a great loss, not only for Georgia but for the whole world of sports,” said one of the mourners, former Olympic weightlifting gold medallist Giorgi Asanidze.
“Nodar deserves every possible tribute for his heroic sacrifice,” said Asanidze, who is also a member of Georgia’s parliament.
